Mobile asset management is a major concern in various transportation industries such as industrial heavy equipment, trucking, railroad, rental equipment, and similar industries. In the industrial heavy equipment and trucking industries, for example, an asset manager may desire to track the status and location of several different, assets in a fleet. An asset manager may want to know, for example, if a remote vehicle is in service, where the vehicle is located, what is happening in connection with the vehicle's operation, how a remote vehicle operator is reacting to conditions confronting fee vehicle, as well as a wide range of variable vehicle operation and performance criteria.
To enable an asset manager to monitor a remote vehicle's states, including the vehicle's operation and performance, a system for at least two-way communications between one or more customer base stations, such as a vehicle dispatcher or asset manager, and a remote vehicle, is increasingly in demand. Some objectives of such a system include not only facilitating communications, but also data development, data storage, and receipt and transmissions of information and reports in connection with the remote vehicle. At least one integrated wireless equipment management system to accomplish those objectives has been developed which includes several useful features. An exemplary integrated wireless equipment management system used in connection with industrial heavy equipment is QUALCOMM Incorporated's GlobalTRACS™ system. In combination with a mobile wireless communications system, the integrated, wireless equipment management system allows customers to track and collect vehicle data, operator driving data, and transportation network data; allows an asset manager to monitor various problems confronted by vehicle operators in connection with operation of a remote vehicle within a transportation network; and allows an asset manager to monitor vehicle operating and deployment conditions useful to the asset manager.
GlobalTRACS™, which is, as indicated, an integrated wireless equipment management system, meets unique requirements of the construction, industry trades by providing a system, that automatically monitors a wide range of information and data, that the system converts into actionable information, allowing an asset manager to acquire knowledge needed to proactively manage remote industrial heavy equipment. The system therefore maximizes equipment utilization, enhances productivity, reduces costs, and decreases risk of loss from theft and unauthorized use, and increases profitability. In addition, the GlobalTRACS™ system may be integrated into back-office systems to further improve productivity and streamline processes.
GlobalTRACS™ terminals, and perhaps other an integrated wireless equipment management systems, use sensors on a vehicle to achieve a number of equipment monitoring functions that include at least: (a) detecting when a sensor is breached, that, is, when a sensor exceeds a configurable, threshold for longer than a configurable time; (b) detecting a sensor's return to normal, that it when the sensor reports operating within a configurable threshold for longer than a configurable normal time; (c) supporting a configurable hystereses, or retardation of an effect as conditions change, in connection with a limit threshold,; (d) detecting a breach that may be above or below a threshold defined by a configurable parameter; (e) generating one or more status reports or alert messages if a sensor state changes to breached; (f) generating one or more status reports or alert messages as a sensor returns to a normal state; and (h) generating and maintaining reports about the accumulated time a sensor has remained in a breached state.
In addition, efforts to achieve and ensure communications between and among remote vehicles and asset managers also have been enhanced by including with a mobile wireless communications system a position determining system such as a Satellite Positioning System (“SPS) and/or a terrestrial positioning system. Alternatively, systems such as Orbcomm, among others, may be used for satellite communications, while a GPS system, as defined in this document, may be used as a positioning system. A mobile wireless communications system, therefore, may be in part terrestrial, and may be used either independently of an SPS system, or in conjunction with an SPS system, such as the GlobalTRACS™ system, among others. Such systems are capable of processing and managing message traffic at least between an asset manager and a vehicle. Such systems also generally include software and programs used by an asset manager to receive and send information over the wireless network, and perform a range of additional functions over the Internet and or World Wide Web. In addition, a mobile wireless communications system also is capable of using alternative channels of communications that allow use of conventional computers that may not be wireless.
Vehicles that use an integrated wireless equipment management system capable of communicating across a mobile wireless communications system usually are equipped with an electrical bus (occasionally spelled “buss”). A bus or buss is a physical electrical interface capable of allowing many devices or components to share the same electric connection. An electrical bus allows signals to be transferred between and among devices, in turn allowing information or power to be shared. A bus often takes the form of an array of wires that terminate at a connector designed to allow one or mere devices to be plugged onto the bus.
Accordingly, a vehicle bus is an electronic communications network that interconnects components in a vehicle. Because of requirements unique to various types of vehicles, including as non-exclusive examples environmental constraints, cost, reliability and real, time characteristics, computer networking technologies such as Ethernet and TCP/IP rarely are used in combination with a vehicle bus. Typical of vehicle electronic components that communicate with each other on and across a vehicle bus are engine control modules, also referred to as electronic control units or an electronic control module (“ECM” or “ECU,” but collectively in this document “ECM”); transmission control modules (“TCM”); and anti-lock brake system modules (“ABS”), among others. An ECM may control a vehicle's fuel injection system, ignition timing, and or an idle speed control system. Depending on design, an ECM also may interrupt operation of the air-conditioning system, or may control power to a fuel pump through a control relay. Generally, an ECM includes an 8-bit microprocessor, random access memory (“RAM”), read only memory (“ROM”), and an input/output interface, among other components.
Development of vehicle network technology has advanced in part because of government regulations, especially in the United States, that have been imposed on vehicle operation to make vehicles responsive to environmental goals. For example, following imposition of limitations placed on gases emitted from automobiles, achieving the environmental standards became attainable only through use of on-board vehicle electronic and computing devices. Such on-board electronic devices also contribute to vehicle performance, ease of manufacture, and cost effectiveness.
An ECM typically receives input from one or more sensors. A sensor may monitor speed, temperature, pressure, and similar conditions, providing data useful in computations of other data. Actuators also may be used to enforce or implement actions determined by an ECM in response to such sensor data, such as turning a cooling fan on, changing a gear, and similar actions. Modules often need to exchange data among themselves during normal operation of a vehicle. For example, an engine may need to inform, a transmission about engine speed, an ABS module may need to inform the engine and transmission that one or more wheels are locking, and similar information. Accordingly, a modern vehicle network has become a medium of data exchange.
However, wiring a vehicle to operatively interconnect all modules to achieve such data exchanges presents extremely difficult wiring problems. In addition, it may be desirable to monitor performance parameters associated with one or more sensors on vehicles having different or varying features and characteristics. It is not atypical for an asset manager to be concerned with more than one vehicle, and the vehicle operation and performance criteria of those vehicles. Responding to such variability presents complicated wiring diagnoses.
In response to those problems, vehicle manufacturers install electronic networks in vehicles. Electronic networks expedite vehicle manufacture. Electronic networks also assist in vehicle maintenance. Electronic networks further provide the capability and flexibility of allowing addition or removal of vehicle options without affecting the vehicle's entire wiring architecture. Today, each module, or node, on the vehicle network is a control module, controlling specific components related to specific functionalities, and capable of communicating with the other modules as necessary, using a standard protocol, over the on-board vehicle network.
To facilitate the use of electronic networks in vehicles, vehicle busses were developed. One such common vehicle bus includes a controller area network (“CAN”). A CANbus has proven to be a relatively inexpensive, low-speed serial bus for interconnecting automotive components. CAN is a serial bus standard for connecting at least ECM's. CAN was initially created for the automotive market as a vehicle bus, but now is available for a number of vehicles including heavy industrial equipment.
To further enhance use of a CANbus in a vehicle electronic network, standards have been developed. The CAN data link layer protocol is standardized in ISO 11898-1 (2003). This standard describes mainly the data link layer and some aspects of the physical layer of the ISO/OSI. All other protocol layers are left to a network designer's choice, a fact that in part introduces a problem solved by the method, system, and apparatus described, illustrated and claimed in this document. To be compatible with the CAN standard, an implementation must accept other standard formats; one such standard is SAE J1939.
SAE J1939 also is a vehicle bus standard used for communication and diagnostics among vehicle components, particularly on heavy duty vehicles in the United States. SAE J1939 defines five layers in the 7-layer OSI network model, and this includes the CAN 2.0b specification, using a 29-bit “extended” identifier for the physical and data-link layers. The session and presentation layers are not part of the specification. The J1939 standard defines an index called a Parameter Group Number (“PGN”) that is embedded in the message's 29-bit identifier. A PGN identifies a message's function and associated data. J1939 seeks to define standard PGN's to encompass a wide range of automotive purposes. For example, there exist predefined PGN's for information such as engine rpm.
However, each vehicle manufacturer is provided optional PGN's for the manufacturer's proprietary use. Thus, a range of PGN's, identified as 00FF0016 through 00FFFF16 inclusive, is reserved for proprietary use. The ability to include proprietary parameters in connection with various vehicles introduces yet another problem solved by the method, system, and apparatus described, illustrated and claimed in this document; proprietary parameters, those proprietary to a vehicle manufacturer, may he unknown to a vehicle user or asset manager.
The PGN is a combination of the reserved bit (always 0), the data page bit (currently only 0 because 1 is reserved for future use), the PDU Format (“PF”), and PDU Specific (“PS”). PDU stands for Protocol Data Unit, and may also be read as the message format. The PF and PS both are a byte, or 8-bits, long. The PS is dependent on the value in the PF field. If the PF value is between 0 and 239, the PS field will contain the destination address of the node that will receive the message. If an address called the Global Address, or FF16, is used, all nodes on the CANbus will receive a message. This type of message, one that can be directed to a specific ECM on the CANbus by sending the message to its address, is called, a PDU1 message.
If, however, a PF field is between 240 and 255, then the PS field will contain a Group Extension (“GE”). The GE provides a larger set of values to identify messages that are broadcast to all nodes on the network. This type of message, one that is sent to all ECM's on the CANbus, is called a PDU2 message.
The PGN uniquely identifies the Parameter Group (“PG”) that is being transmitted in the message. Each PG, or a grouping of specific parameters, has a definition that includes the assignment of each parameter within the 8-byte data field, the transmission rate, and the priority of the message. The structure of a PGN currently permits a total of up to 8,672different parameter groups to be defined per page. When an ECM receives a message, the ECM uses the PGN in the identifier to recognize the type of data sent in the message.
The J1939 standard also describes other parameters used in the J1939 network. A Suspect Parameter Number (“SPN”) is a number that has been assigned by the SAE committee to a specific parameter. Each SPN includes data length, in bytes; data type; resolution; offset; range; and a tag, or label, for reference. One or more SPN's that share common characteristics will be grouped into a Parameter Group (“PG”) transmitted to the network using the same PGN. The message may also include a source address (“SA”), information about raw breach threshold, hysteresis, starting position, and the number of bits, units, factor, and offset.
On a J1939 network, each vehicle component or device has a unique address. Each message sent by a component or device contains a source address. 255 addresses are possible. Each device type has a preferred address. Before a device may use an address, it must register itself on the CANbus, a procedure called “address claiming,” in which the device sends an “AddressClaim” parameter group with the desired source address. The PG contains a 64-bit device name. The device name contains some information about the device and describes its function. Examples of such messages are illustrated in this document as FIGS. 4A-4C.
Thus, the SAE J1939 standard defines a large number of parameters that may or may not be available on a CANbus installed on a particular vehicle. Vehicle manufacturers and equipment manufacturers for vehicles decide which parameters to support. Vehicle manufacturers and equipment manufacturers for vehicles may also add unique proprietary parameters.
Accordingly, although CANbus and the standards that have been developed, to enhance use of the CANbus and its associated sensors combine to provide elegant solutions for what they were designed to do, they include limitations for vehicle owners and asset managers seeking to monitor a number of vehicles that may have varying operation and performance criteria.
At least one limitation arises from the fact that original equipment manufacturers deploy a CANbus system that is vehicle-specific. The CANbuses of most industrial heavy equipment vehicles, such as construction equipment and construction vehicles, often are limited to specific performance parameters, and may not include performance parameters sought to be monitored by a vehicle owner and/or assets manager. Regarding industrial heavy equipment such as construction equipment, significant additional complexity arises. SAE J1939 is the vehicle network communication standard used for communication and diagnostics by industrial heavy equipment, such as construction equipment and the heavy duty truck industry, predominantly in the United States. Proprietary standards may therefore affect usefulness of an integrated wireless equipment management system. If CANbus information cannot be monitored due to proprietary standards that the integrated wireless equipment management system cannot read or react to, an asset manager may be usable to monitor vehicle operation and performance criteria across an integrated wireless equipment management system.
At least one problem, therefore, to be solved is to provide a method, system, and apparatus that is capable of monitoring CANbus information by a vehicle owner or asset manager that overcomes the limitations of a CANbus due to undisclosed proprietary and non-public parameters associated with a particular vehicle's CANbus.